Recent advances in buffer layers have shown to inhibit dendrite growth in lithium/solid state cells.

Developing a cathode where the instability between the electrolyte and the active material is managed. 

In this task, researchers are exploring ways to make composite electrodes for solid-state batteries, using oxide electrolytes such as LLZO (Li7La3Zr2O12). While these oxide electrolytes are attractive in terms of conductivity and stability with respect to oxidation or reduction in contact with common electrode materials, including lithium, processing them remains a challenge.

Unlike softer and more compressible sulfide or halide electrolytes, it is not possible simply to mix active material and electrolyte together to achieve good contact in a composite electrode. Instead, a porous scaffold of LLZO is first formed and then infiltrated with active material and other components to form the composite.

There are a number of ways to make porous ceramics, including using sacrificial pore formers. The tomographic images below show LLZO scaffolds made by freeze tape casting, in which the sacrificial pore former consists of ice, which is then removed by sublimation.

An alternative method to stopping dendrites through grain boundaries is to develop an electrolyte that has no grain boundaries.  The glass composite electrolyte should have enough conductivity to discharge fast, yet, by definition, is inherently grain boundary free.